the iPhone 14 Professional different iPhone 14 Professional Max have some main digicam benefits over the common iPhone 14, resembling a 3x telephoto zoom lens. However a brand new unique characteristic for this yr is a 48MP sensor for the primary vast digicam within the Professional fashions. And primarily based on our testing, it produces some fairly superb outcomes.
The brand new 48MP sensor on the iPhone 14 Professional and Professional Max is 65% bigger than the one on the iPhone 13 Professional, and it encompasses a second-gen sensor-shift optical picture stabilization system. The primary digicam’s sensor can optimize for gentle seize and group each 4 pixels into a bigger quad-pixel (leading to 12MP pictures) or use every pixel individually to optimize for element in higher-resolution 48MP pics.
It is the latter situation that I used to be occupied with for this comparability, which reveals what occurs whenever you use the ProRAW format and shoot full 48MP pictures.
The fantastic thing about capturing 48MP photographs is that you’ve got much more pixels to play with, particularly if you wish to crop, reframe or zoom in. I took a number of pictures with the 48MP ProRAW setting on and off to see how a lot of a distinction it makes.
Observe that we transformed the information to JPEG photographs for the premise of this comparability, however you’ll be able to nonetheless see an enormous distinction intimately, shade and total high quality — and why the iPhone 14 Professional sequence tops our finest digicam telephone checklist.
Instances Sq. babe
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On this first telephone taken in Instances Sq., we zeroed in on a winged child basket atop a constructing. And you may see that the ProRAW mode delivers much more element as we cropped in.
The straw across the child particularly is quite a bit sharper wanting, as are the wings behind it. The constructing within the background seems extra pure as effectively, because it’s artificially punched up by the iPhone 14’s computational images. And even the neon lights on the correct look extra realistically refined. The 48MP shot is just cleaner than the 12MP model, the place a bit of little bit of fuzziness has crept into the picture.
carousel
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For this subsequent shot we snapped this photograph of the carousel in Bryant Park. Take a look at the butterfly and particularly the detailing to the correct.
I appreciated the sharpness within the Tiffany blue butterfly as we zoomed in, and the blueish inexperienced shade appears to deepen. The 12MP model of the identical shot artificially amped up the distinction. Additionally be aware how the lights get a bit blown out within the 12MP photograph and are extra muted and life like within the 48MP picture.
Instances Sq. buildings
That is an fascinating shot as a result of you’ve the brilliant sky within the background surrounded by buildings, making for a difficult photograph.
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At first look, the 12MP photograph from the iPhone 14 Professional Max seems extra inviting due to the saturated colours; there’s additionally extra distinction between the sky and clouds. Nonetheless, there’s much more noise within the 12MP photograph versus little or no within the 48MP shot as we zoom in. The constructing to the left of the Prudential signal nearly seems like a portray within the 12MP picture.
Fountain
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It is a good difficult photograph due to all of the shadows across the fountain. Let’s have a look at what occurs after we rise up actual shut.
The largest space of distinction I see is within the water. You may make out extra of the droplets within the 48MP photograph in comparison with the 12MP photograph of the identical fountain. There’s additionally a extra even stability to the lighting within the 48MP iPhone 14 Professional Max shot, just like what we see from Google Pixel telephones.
statue
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These pictures of the William Cullen Bryant statue look dramatically totally different, from the coloring to the pillars surrounding the statue.
On this case the 12MP iPhone 14 Professional Max photograph turns the statue too darkish, to the purpose the place it is nearly a black blob. You may make out much more fantastic particulars within the 48MP pictures, particularly within the face and proper hand. And whereas the lettering would not stand out as a lot within the 48MP photograph, it is extra pure wanting.
Chicken
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I am truthfully stunned that each telephones had been capable of render the hen on prime of the statue so effectively given how darkish issues are within the shadow. However when you zoom within the distinction is night time and day.
The iPhone 14 Professional Max’s 48MP ProRAW mode did a incredible job rendering the face on this darkish statue. It is a lot simpler to make out the beard and hairline on this shot than with the 12MP model. And the Grace Constructing within the background additionally seems sharper. The hen stands out a bit extra within the 12MP photograph, however that is earlier than enhancing.
Empire State Constructing
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This photograph was taken throughout Bryant Park with the Empire State Constructing within the distance. That is the one photograph the place at the least the unedited outcomes from the 48MP photograph did not impress as a lot as I hoped.
If I had been to share certainly one of these pictures I might in all probability decide the 12MP model (at the least earlier than enhancing). The blue sky is richer and there is extra distinction as soon as once more. The 48MP photograph is flatter, and it nearly looks as if there is a movie over the picture, particularly whenever you take a look at the Empire State Constructing. However this RAW picture offers editors extra of a clean canvas from which to tweak.
backside line
The 48MP digicam in ProRAW mode could be very spectacular, particularly if you wish to probably zoom in or crop a picture after a truth to reframe your shot. And we actually solely examined one facet of ProRAW right here.
Total, the pictures shot in ProRAW mode supply extra life like, life-like distinction—notably within the shadows—and have fewer digital artifacts. There’s much less sharpening by the iPhone’s digicam software program, and the pictures hold a broader dynamic vary for making edits later. (This may additionally lead to a few of haziness and publicity variations that crept into a number of of the above samples.)
Whereas the 12MP pictures from the iPhone 14 Professional Max are stellar, you merely have much more inventive freedom in ProRAW mode. With a very good photograph enhancing app — and even Apple’s — you will get the colours precisely the way you need. So I might undoubtedly give it a shot.